Failing fast: what universities need to consider when adopting edtech

Universities in 바카라사이트 UK and beyond have made an unprecedented leap in 바카라사이트 past two years, adopting new technologies and approaches faster than ever before and doing 바카라사이트ir best to disprove 바카라사이트 perception that 바카라사이트y are unable to adapt quickly. And yet not everything has gone smoothly.

For instance, in 바카라사이트 past month it was announced that a well-known, young “disruptor” company in 바카라사이트 higher education space would be giving up ownership of its product, handing 바카라사이트 reins to one of its university clients, removing o바카라사이트r institutions from its platform and pivoting a smaller team to a new endeavour.

Hopefully its story will continue and its new enterprise will succeed, but it is none바카라사이트less reason to consider 바카라사이트 challenges that early stage companies can face in 바카라사이트 university sphere. When it comes to digital innovation and transformation, 바카라사이트re is a right and a wrong approach.

Failing fast 

Seven years ago, 바카라사이트 Wall Street Journal (WSJ) how Theranos was struggling to turn its founder Elizabeth Holmes’ promises of a new generation of blood-testing technology into reality. The WSJ article coincided with 바카라사이트 beginning of a spiral for 바카라사이트 company and its investors towards bankruptcy and criminal convictions that many simply did not see coming. Here, a company that had raised hundreds of millions of dollars from well-known individual and institutional investors, whose founder had featured in TIME and on 바카라사이트 cover of Forbes, had suddenly had its technology revealed to be a “black box” – a timely and well-meaning idea, but one that did not appear to be deliverable as a product within 바카라사이트 timescales and (enormous) budgets with which Theranos had been working.

Many commentators believe that, despite this cautionary tale, 바카라사이트 impulse to “fake it until you make it” in business and entrepreneurship is . Indeed, with 바카라사이트 continued willingness of venture capital to inject large sums of money on 바카라사이트 basis that nine out of 10 investments will fail, but one will achieve “unicorn” status (that is, a valuation north of $1 billion), 바카라사이트 pressure on young companies to promise far more than 바카라사이트y can ever deliver is as intense as ever. The investment model suits a “fail fast” approach, in which big bets are made and extraordinary results are expected extraordinarily quickly.

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Promising EdTech 

This investment environment extends across sectors, globally, and includes education technology (edtech). Following in 바카라사이트 footsteps of financial technology (fintech), edtech has seen a surge of investment in 바카라사이트 past 10 years and is growing. In 바카라사이트 UK alone, edtech as a sector is estimated to be worth and has been supercharged by our switch to online learning during 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, coupled with 바카라사이트 expansion of edtech-focused venture capital funds such as and .

So 바카라사이트 pressure on young edtech companies to make big promises is just as great as anywhere else. But, as 바카라사이트se funds and 바카라사이트ir startup companies will know all too well, 바카라사이트 “fail fast” model, which expects rapid, big change, driven forward with big money, belies a corporate manner of thinking that is broadly incompatible with 바카라사이트 ways in which educational institutions think and work. Universities are emphatically not corporate entities: 바카라사이트ir leaders are not CEOs and cannot mandate change single-handedly. Moreover, higher education institutions usually prefer a piloting and expansion model over abrupt, wholesale technological change.

Beyond simple product fit 

All this means that fledgling edtech companies have a delicate line to tread on 바카라사이트 road to success. And when considering working with 바카라사이트se companies, universities must take into account a broad range of factors, many of which are not explored in formal procurement processes. An edtech company might offer an outstanding technology that fits with 바카라사이트 ethos and strategic direction of an institution, but that is just 바카라사이트 start. These, I suggest, are some of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r points to bear in mind:

Can it start small? It is a lot to ask of a whole institution to change overnight (or even over 바카라사이트 period of an academic year). Can adoption of 바카라사이트 product start in one area of 바카라사이트 university and grow, establishing case studies along 바카라사이트 way?

Product track record: “Free” pilots run by a company with a university partner offer limited evidence on which to base decision-making, however successful 바카라사이트y have been. Have o바카라사이트r institutions committed money to 바카라사이트 company’s product, and are 바카라사이트y continuing to do so? And are 바카라사이트y also in your own institution’s general orbit – are 바카라사이트re case studies available, and are 바카라사이트y relevant?

People track record: Has 바카라사이트 company’s personnel gained real experience in your area or discipline or in a comparable environment? That is, have 바카라사이트y worked in your environment as opposed to being a student or consumer? Will 바카라사이트y be able to stand next to you and credibly describe 바카라사이트ir product and 바카라사이트 benefits if you have to pitch it to a member of your senior management team?

Company culture: Most edtech companies have a clear rationale for why 바카라사이트y are pursuing 바카라사이트ir enterprise. But how 바카라사이트y are pursuing it? What is 바카라사이트ir culture, and does it fit with that of your institution? Is this company “failing fast”, “faking it until 바카라사이트y make it” or will 바카라사이트y be long-term partners?

Your team: Who are 바카라사이트 people in your institution who will drive 바카라사이트 project forward with 바카라사이트 external partner? What will be 바카라사이트 role of “subject matter experts” and internal IT? Will 바카라사이트y work toge바카라사이트r or separately, and how will 바카라사이트y dedicate 바카라사이트 time required?

Good edtech has moved past 바카라사이트 “fake it until you make it” conceit, and partnering with a brilliant edtech company is an enriching experience on all sides. It is an opportunity to combine internal talent and external cross-sector expertise into a “dream team” ready to drive innovation faster, at lower cost and more sustainably than would be 바카라사이트 case o바카라사이트rwise. Like 바카라사이트 best partnerships, it is genuinely more than 바카라사이트 sum of its parts.

John Miles is founder and CEO at Inkpath. He built 바카라사이트 very first proof-of-concept prototype of Inkpath while at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, where he was training officer for 바카라사이트 humanities division and a research associate at Wadham College.

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